NC counties’ rainfall chart from Helene.
It is difficult to believe it has now been a year since hurricane Helene.
The wounds to the landscape and to people’s lives, are still very fresh. In Georgia, 37 people lost their lives. Rainfall in north Georgia was 10-12 inches over 36 hours. Millions were without electricity, making it one of the largest blackout events in U.S. history from a natural disaster. Helene intensified with extraordinary speed, strengthening from a tropical storm to a hurricane in less than 48 hours. Rapid intensification is becoming more and more common with warming ocean waters, but Helene’s power leap was still exceptional.
I was watching the storm move inland from the Gulf. It was very odd what happened next. Typically, a hurricane with this kind of power brings widespread damage to the coast but Helene was not typical. Unlike most hurricanes, the worst devastation happened inland. I could not believe what the models were showing for North Carolina!
As the storm continued to evolve into more of a rainmaker rather than a wind-maker, dire warnings were being issued by the National Weather Service. The rainfall that was predicted actually occurred. Look at some of these totals in the accompanying chart.
September rainfall outlook.
Some areas saw 800,000 gallons of water on each acre of ground. What concerns me this month is the Climate Prediction Center’s Rainfall Outlook. It is calling for above average rainfall. Our average September rainfall is 3.4.”
With all the rain we have seen this summer, the ground is just saturated. A landfalling tropical weather system could bring catastrophic flooding. Something to keep an eye on for sure.
While above average temperatures are in the forecast, I am seeing many signs that another cold winter is ahead for us. I’ll explain my thinking next month.
The Autumnal Equinox will occur on September 22. Have a great September!
Graphics: courtesy National Weather Center
